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Monday was a big day for many local students. With the first day of school came several changes.
The newly consolidated Gadsden County High School brought together students from the former East and West Gadsden high schools.
Although the school they attend was formerly East Gadsden, Superintendent Roger Milton said he is very pleased they had all of the East Gadsden signs removed and replaced them with Gadsden County High signs.

“We have a verdict,” a bailiff said, just as Judge Barbara K. Hobbs was about to send a deputy to ask jurors if they wanted to keep working or wrap up for the day and reconvene Saturday morning.
It was around 6:45 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 11. The jury had been in deliberating since just before noon.
Dekendrick Ford sat at the defendant’s table waiting to hear his fate, wearing a white button-down shirt, black slacks, black tie and shoes.
Ford was on trial for the 2011 killing of his girlfriend Teresa Manuel.

After six hours of deliberation, the jury has returned a verdict in the Dekendrick Ford case. Ford was found not guilty of the 2011 murder of his girlfriend Teresa Manuel. Read more in next week's edition of The Gadsden County Times.

The Gadsden County Commission hosted a reception for the county’s summer youth employees.
The teens and their families were invited to Gadsden County’s seniors center for dinner as they received awards for their hard work.
Kiara Walls and Imani Whitehead were among the teens who had summer jobs through the county program.
Walls who worked at Carter-Parramore Academy under Frances Harrell said, “It was a good experience to work with the kids and actually have a job.”

Jury selection for Dekendrick Ford’s trial took place Monday morning, followed by opening statements from prosecutors and the defense attorneys later that afternoon.
Ford, who turns 29 on Thursday, Aug. 10, is accused of first-degree murder in the 2011 shooting death of his girlfriend, 23-year-old Teresa Manuel.
On Tuesday, prosecutors called witnesses to the stand to give their testimonies.

It was the best week ever — at least until next year’s camp starts. Many children are already counting down until next summer, when Chick Fil A’s WinShape camp returns to Quincy.
The five-day program is designed to shape winners and give children confidence while instilling faith-based lessons.
On the final day of the camp, parents had a chance to join their children to see just what they had been doing all week, and what had them so tired in the evening once they got home from a day at First Baptist Church of Quincy.

County honors teen summer employees
By Erin Hill
The Gadsden County Commission hosted a reception for the county’s summer youth employees.
The teens and their families were invited to Gadsden County’s seniors center for dinner as they received awards for their hard work.
Kiara Walls and Imani Whitehead were among the teens who had summer jobs through the county program.
Walls who worked at Carter-Parramore Academy under Frances Harrell said, “It was a good experience to work with the kids and actually have a job.”

The rain did not dampen the spirits of those celebrating the life of Minister Alphono Figgers at a park dedication on Saturday.
The city of Quincy has renamed Shaw Quarters Park after Figgers. He worked diligently to get the park in the community he grew up in. Figgers, who died in April, was not only a lifetime resident of Quincy, but also a human rights activist after he was convicted of murder as one of the “Quincy Five” and later exonerated. He had a strong presence in the Gadsden County community.

A Quincy police officer was recently fired after an alleged sexual encounter with an inmate.
Capt. Robert MIxson with QPD said Carl Brown was terminated Friday, July 28. The Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office released a statement earlier last month stating that after interviewing the two parties, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed that two instances of inappropriate sexual contact had taken place between the police officer and an inmate of the county jail.

Hundreds of people came out for the Sow-A-Seed Foundation’s Back to School Summer Summit on Saturday at the Joe Ferolito Recreation Center in Quincy.
Prizes such as cash, school uniforms and cakes were raffled away. Children were able to get snow cones, cotton candy and popcorn.
Backpacks with school supplies were also given away to the first 100 children.
Originally there were train rides and bounce houses for outside for children, but everyone moved inside because of the rain.
However, the party still went on.